Iran Says Executions May Proceed, Warns Any Attack on Leader Signals ‘All-Out War’

The Iranian regime warned on Jan. 18 that “any aggression” against its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would amount to waging “all-out war” against Iran, and indicated it may proceed with executing hundreds of citizens detained during protests that have swept the country over the last three weeks.

Faced with a worsening economy and skyrocketing inflation, Iranian citizens have amassed in the largest wave of protests to hit the nation since its 1979 Islamic revolution, taking to the streets on Dec. 28, 2025, to call for an end to the Islamist regime’s theocratic clerical rule.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated that Washington stands ready to intervene if the regime continues to kill protesters in the streets or orders executions. In a social media post on Jan. 16, Trump thanked Iran’s leaders for cancelling more than 800 executions that he said were scheduled to take place on Thursday.

However, the Iranian judiciary seemingly indicated on Sunday that executions may proceed as previously planned.

“A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments,” Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said during a press conference on Jan. 18.

Moharebeh is an Islamic-Arabic term that translates to “fighting God” and is punishable with death under the Iranian regime’s rule. One who commits moharebeh is called a mohareb.

Trump told Politico in an interview on Jan. 17, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”

Despite the thousands of confirmed deaths since protests broke out late last month, with estimates increasing by the day, Khamenei and the Iranian regime have repeatedly blamed Trump for the “casualties” and chaos engulfing Iran.

The regime escalated its rhetoric against Washington on Sunday.

“If the people of [Iran] face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media. “Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation.”

Confirmed Deaths Surpass 3,900

Human Rights Activists in Iran, a non-political organization that records and reports on human rights abuses by the Iranian regime, released updated figures on the number of deaths after 21 days of protests on Jan. 18, with the confirmed totals reaching 3,919.

Of those deaths, at least 3,097 are reported to be protesters, nearly two dozen were non-protesting civilians, and 22 were minors.

The organization’s news agency said another 4,382 death cases are “still under review,” and at least 24,669 people have been arrested by the regime so far. More than two thousand people have also sustained severe injuries since the protests began, the group said.

The actual death toll is feared to be much higher.

Human Rights Activists in Iran said on Sunday that the regime ordered at least 2,063 executions in 2025, a 119 percent increase compared to the previous year, noting that many of the prisoners were “denied the right to a final visit with their families.”

Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 15, the regime executed at least 22 people who had been sentenced to death for charges including Moharebeh, murder, and drug-related crimes, the human rights group said.

“The continued large-scale implementation of death sentences amid internet shutdowns and severe restrictions on the flow of information has intensified concerns over the lack of judicial transparency, prisoners’ denial of access to fair trials, and the heightened risk of violations of the right to life,” the organization said in a statement.

“Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that carrying out executions in a securitized and opaque environment increases the likelihood of serious human rights abuses.”

Reuters contributed to this report.